Superheater header for locomotives



W. B. WHITSITT ET AL.

SUHEIRHEATER HEADER FOR LOCOMOTIVES Filed Auk. 8, 1923 3 sweets-Sheet 1 anon/H214 W. B. WHR'B'SITY' ET AL I SUPERHEATER HEADER FOR LOCOMOTIVES Filed Ausz. 8, 1923 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 llllll t n umuun 26 m m l 37 I j l mented Dee. 6,, 19127.

7 were soar WILLIAM iawnrrsir'r Ann WALTER annnn aan, or BALTITKORE; MAe LAiinf SUPERHEATER HEADER; FOR LOCOMOTIVES.

Application. heali -use s, 1 9 23. Serial No. 656,419.

Among the objects of our invention are To provide agheader for locomotives which forms a new article of manufacture inasmuch as it is composed entirely of sheet steel or other suitable material which is first 7 formed in sheets; afterwardscut to appro pri ate shapes and sizes and then autogenously welded together or secured together by any other suitable process. I

To provide a header composed of a metal which has substantially the same composition and physical structure-as the bolt which clampsthe ball joints to the seats formed therein. V a I I v To provide a header composed of a metal which affords a superior bearing for the ball joints of the superheater units.

To provide a header so constructed that the material adjacent the seats thereof is of such strength as will insure the securing of the best union p ossible when the ball joints of the superheater units are clamped thereto. a

To provide a header composed of a material which is more resistant to the action of the gases in the smokebox than headers now in use. I j Y Our improved superheaterf header thus broadly" differentiates. fromvv superheater headers which have heretofore been formed of cast metal. It has been found that in casting superheate'r headers, quite a large percentage of same has been found to beimperfect owing to the fact that the cores shifted during the casting process and that cracks occurred in the walls of the superheater. headers owing to unequal contraction during the cooling' of same. I 7

After east headers have been placed n service upon locomotives it has been found that cracks developed between theseats to which theball joints of the superheater units were clamped. These cracks have been due to the fact that the metal between the seats for the ball joints of the superheater unit is substantially a beam which is subjected to the stress of the bolt that clamps the ball joints to the header and said metal is subjected to varying stresses during heatingand cooling, owing to the fact that the header is of'cast metal andcrystalline in physical structure and the bolt is of wrought metal and fibrous in physical structure. v

Moreover, the compositlon of wrought metal is such that it compressesbetter than a a does cast metal and hence, is capable of a more perfect union with" the ball joints. All

of the. foregoing advantages have been long des red, but have been unobtainable in cast metal headers These features have been'incOr-pOrated in our wrought metal header at a minimum of cost. i i i We will now explain our method for produ'clng our improved header and de'scribe'the features; of same for illustrative purposes, reference being had to the drawings.

In, the drawings Figure'l is a perspective view of thebot tom plate of our header. v 1

Fig. Qisa view of the bottom-plate, top plate and partition of ourheader after these parts have been secured-together.

Flg. 3 is a top plan view of our completed header. r

Fig. e is a view of the parts shown in 3 looking in the direction of the arrow ii in said figure; In this figure one pair ofthe' ball joints, the yoke and the jaw bolt for clamping said joints to the header are shown.

at I

5 looking in the direction of the arrow 6 in said figure,

Flg. 7 1s a view similar to Fig. 5v but showing astud bolt used in placeof the j aw bolt shown in Fig, 5.

Fig. 8 is aview of the parts shown in Fig.

7 looking in the direction of the arrow 8 in said figure.

. ,ln carrying out our method for the production of our new header we first prepare a substantially flat bottom plate 10 provided with a plurality of" bosses 31' 011 the. underside thereof in accordance with one modi-Y fication for a purpose hereinafterfreferred to; a top plate 12 which is bent or pro- Vided with the angularlyfdisposed or slopingfportions 13 13 and the sides 1414 which portions and sides approximately-conform to the curvature of the locomotive smoke box; a corrugated or zig-zag' parti-v tlon 15 or one having a plurality of upright bends therein and adapted to extend substantially the full length of the bottom ,plate or wall 10; a substantially flat frontplate ,18' and a substantially fiat back plate undersurface of said top plate,

-2O andthe back plate is provided with a hole 21 for purposes hereinafter referred to.

The steps of our method are then as follows The bottom edge of the zigzag partition .15 is welded on both sides of said partition to the top surface of the plate 10. The top edge of the partition 15, which is shaped to conform to the undersurface of the top plate 12, is then welded on both sides to the angularly disposed portions 13-43 andsides 1 11 l. The meeting edges of the top and bottom plates are welded together, either as illustrated in Figure 2 or overlapped in the opposite manner, The pipes 2222 for connecting the superheater header to the locomotive cylinders are preferably passed through the holes 20, with the flanges ofsaid pipes on the inside of the front plate 18, saidfianges welded to the inside of said plate, and said pipes are welded to the out side of said plate before s id plate is welded to the bottom plate 10, topplate 12, angularly disposed portions13 and sides 14. The

)ine 23 for connectin the suoerheater L C:

header ,to the dry pipe of the locomotive is preferably passed through the hole 21 with the flange of said pipe on the inside of the back plate 19, said flangewelded to the 111- side of said plate and said pipe welded to the outside of said plate before said plate is welded to the bottom plate 10, top plate 12, angularly disposed portions 13' and side 14. The front plate 18 and back plate 19 are then welded along their edges to the bottom plate 10, top plate 12, and angularly disposed portions 13-13 and sides 1 1l 1.

The pipes 2 124i of the superhea-ter unit are provided with ball joints 25 which fit the seats 26 formed in thebottom plate 10. he ball. joints 25 are pressed against the seats 25 by the yoke 27 which is under compressive stress from the nuts 28, the latter being threaded on the stud bolt 32 which is mounted in the boss 31. i

In using our improved superheater header,

it is to be mounted in the smoke box of usual 7 manner.

Referring to Figures 1, 2, 1, 5 and 6, a modified form of connection for the superheater units 18 there disclosed. In accord anee with this modification, the bottom plate 10 is provided with slots 11 therethrough and the partition 15 is formed with extensions 16 which are inserted through the slots when the plates are assembled so as to completely fill raid slots. The partition is preferably welded to the bottom plate both above and below said plate, as shown particularly in Figure 2. Those portions or extensions 16 of the partition 15 below the bottom plate 10 are formed with a plurality of holes therethrou 'h and these holes serve for conr on with the jaw bolts 29 by .n'ieans of, s 30 inserted through corresponding peri orations therein and the holes 11?, is illustrated particularly iii-Figures 5. 9 are provided with nuts ii one ('3. The bolts 28 which serve for tightening the yokes 2? to thereby clamp the ball joints 25 against the seats 26 to hold the heater units in place, as inthe embodiment illustrated in Figures 7 and 8.

(Bur improved superheater header open ates 'in the well-known manner, is lighter in weight and yet stronger than the usual cast header.

pipes 24- of the super- As only bent and no dished sections are used expensive dies are dis- I pensed with. no partition or separator 15, by virtue of its corrugated formation, and welded connection to the top and bottom plates, not only serves-to divide the header into two compartments of substantially equal volume,'as indicated in Figure but serves as a stay member between top and bottom plates and rigidly trusses the whole structure together.

lVhile we have explained one method for producing our improved superheater header and have described one form of superheater be understood that this is lid for header, yet it is to for purposes of illustration only and in wise to limit the scope of o rinvention, changes may be made in the method described without departing from the spirit of our invention.

lVe claim 1. The herein described method of forming a superheater header of sheet metal which consists in shaping sheets of metal to form the bottom, top, front, back and partition of said header, welding said partition set" forth and in the structure illustrated and to said bottom and top, welding said bottom to said top and welding said front and back to said bottom and top.-

2. The .herein described method of forming a superheater header of sheet metal which consists in shaping sheets of metal to form the bottom, top, front, back and partition of said header, Welding said partition to said bottom and top, welding said bottom to said top, welding pipes to said front and back and welding saidfront and back to said bottom and top. U

3. The herein described method of forming a superheater header of sheet-metal which consists in shaping metal sheets to form top,

bottom, front and rear walls, forming a p'artition wall of sheet-metal having a plurality of upright bends therein, of alength such that it extends substantially from endto end of said bottom wall,shapin the upper edges (I finally assembling the front and rear walls therewith and welding the remaining abutting portions o'f'all of the walls to formtight joints therebetwcen.

1. The herein described method of formin g -a superheater header comprising shaping metal plates to form top, bottom, front and rear walls, said top wall being formed with downturnedend portions extending toward the bottom wall and one of said walls overlapping, and the edge the'reof abutting the end of the other wall, forming a partition 'wall of sheet-metal having a pluralityof up right bends therein, of a length such that it extends approximately from end to end of said bottom wall, shaping its upper edge so that it conforms to the lower surface of the top wall, assembling the partition between and welding it to the top and bottomwalls, assemblingthe front and rear Walls therewith and welding the meeting 'portions of said top, bottom, front and rear walls to form tight joints therebetween.

, 5. The herein described methodof form- 1' ing a superheater header. of sheet-metal which consists in shaping metal sheets to form top, bottom, front and rear walls, said top wall having sloping end portions terminating in down-turned portions adapted to overlie the end portions of said bottom wall, forming a partition wall of sheet-metal having a plurality of upright bends therein,

of a length such that itextends substantially from end to end of said bottom wall, shaping the upper edges thereof to conform to the shape of the top wall, assembling and welding the partition to the top and bottom] walls, assembling the remaining walls therewith, and finally Welding the abutting portions of all of said walls to form tight joints therebetween, i

6. The herein described method of forming a superheater header of sheet-metal which consists in shaping metal sheets to form top, bottom, front and rear walls, forming a partition wallof sheet-metal having a plurality of upright bends therein, of such a. length that it extends substantially from end to end of said bottom wall, shaping the upper edges thereof to conform to the shape of the top wall, welding the partition to the top and bottom walls, welding pipes to saidfront and rear walls, and finally welding said wallsto the top and bottom walls to form tight joints therebetwee n.

. wall interposed between and connected to 7. The steps in the herein describedmethod of forming a superheat'er header of sheetmetal plates, which consist in forming asubstantially flat, bottom plate, welding to said bottom plate in fluid tight relation a corrugated upright partition member, shaping the upper surface of said partitionme'mber to conform to a top plate, and welding the par tition tosaid top plate in fluid tight-relation. 7

8. The herein described method of form-; ing a superheater header of sheet-metal plates, which consistsin forming a substantially fiat bottom plate, welding to said bottom plate a corrugated upright partition member, shaping the upper surface of said partition member to conform to a top plate,

welding the partition to said top plate, welding the meeting edges of the top and bottom plates, and finally welding front and back bottom plates.

9. The herein described method of forming a superheater header of sheet-metal plates, which consists in forming a substane tially' flat bottom plate, welding to said bot tom plate a corrugated uprig-l'it partition member, shaping the upper surface of; said partition member to conform to a top plate," welding the partition to said top plate, welding the meeting edges ofthe top and bottom plates, Welding a pipe to a back plate and said plate to the adjacent edges of said plates to the adjacent edges of said top and r 10. A superheater header composed of sheet metal parts welded together and hay ing a bottom provided: with, means on the external surfaceof said'bottom for attachment to clamping bolts of superheater units, 7 a

11.-1 superheater header composed of sheet metal parts Welded together and having a bottom provided with means welded on the external surface of said bottom for attachment to clamping bolts of superheater units. I 5 V a I 1-2. A super-heater header composed of sheet-metal parts welded together and having a bottomcomprising seats for ball joints, and bosses provided with threaded holes welded to the outside of said bottom, in combination with bolts threaded in said holes, nuts and yokes on said bolts and ball joints of superheater units pressed against said seats by said yolres. v

13, A superheater header composed of a plurality of wrought flat plates formingsides,

a wrought bottom plate connected thereto,-a

wrought top plate bent and connected to the end portions of the bottom plate and the top and ends of the side plates, and a partition said top and bottom plates, and serving as a stay member ,therebetween.

lL A superheater header comprising a.

Wrought bottom plate, a Wrought top plate and a separator interposed therebetween, the upper and lower edges of said separator abutting the lower and upper surfaces of the said top and bottom plates and Welding means uniting said abutting portions, said separator being provided with a plurality of upright bends therein forming alternately interspaced pockets on opposite sides there-' 15. A superheater header comprising front and rear and topand bottom plates, 15

to said openings.

tures. v i

. lVILLIAM B. VVHITSITT. XVALTER HEDEMAN.

In testimony whereof, we afiix our signa- 

